


Meeting the Devil

by keelhaulrose



Series: Sympathy for the Devil [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:33:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22964707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelhaulrose/pseuds/keelhaulrose
Summary: A chance encounter leaves Hermione confused, and a little frightened.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)
Series: Sympathy for the Devil [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650367
Comments: 9
Kudos: 121
Collections: Hermione's Haven Bingo 2020





	Meeting the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the #HHBingo2020 event, my G1 square 'Sectumsempra'
> 
> I had a few readers want the longer version of some things that got mentioned in my story 'Just Her Luck', so this is a glimpse of that.

She glanced up at the flash of light that indicated the door had opened and let someone either in or out. Nearly three years of being on the run had trained her, honed her instincts, so she could glance at the newcomer and decide how much of a threat they were. This time it was a woman, her clothes skin-tight, her skirt, already short, hiked up to a near obscene length, enough makeup on that her painted features stood out clearly even from across the bar. Hermione shook her head and pulled out a glass, ready to make something strong. While she had not ever planned on being a bartender, she found it had it's advantages in her situation. Bartenders were needed nearly everywhere on the planet, so when she did have to move she could start another job quickly. They were often paid under the table, meaning less paperwork leaving a trace to her. Bars came in all flavors, so if she got tired of a certain type of clientele or music she could easily go to another. And nearly everyone knows someone who works in or runs a bar, or at least knows _of_ someone, so she was able to keep close enough to the wizarding world that she could keep an eye on things while staying out of sight from most in that world. She had worked in bars in Dresden, Prague, Toronto, Chicago, and New Orleans before coming to Los Angeles. She hadn't planned on staying long, originally it was merely a stop long enough for her to study Greek to head back to Europe, but she had come to enjoy the bar she was currently at and her plans had changed to staying as long as she could. It was owned by a woman named Maddie, who was a cousin of Ted Tonks. Maddie had only met Ted a few times, but remembered him fondly, and jumped at the chance to help 'one of his friends' who was hiding from the same people who killed her cousin. The bar itself was nothing spectacular, a place where the beer was cold, the pool tables were cheap, and classic rock played for the working-class people who came in to forget the drudgery for a while. The TVs, when on, were always tuned to a sports channel, to discourage any political discourse that might arise. Fighting was not tolerated. Maddie prided herself on running a clean establishment that didn't attract attention from the authorities, and Hermione was her top employee; always there and on time, kept things clean, moved quickly, and didn't tolerate bullshit from anyone. Her quirks of being a bit skeptical of newcomers and very secretive about her past were worth overlooking when she could pour drinks at near record speed.

The woman who just came in took a look around, eyeing each of the men sitting around the bar. It was a Thursday afternoon, not generally a busy time to begin with, but the Dodgers were hot that year and nearing a playoff spot, so there were a few more to pick from than usual.

“Working girl?” Maddie's voice asked softly behind her.

“Possibly. It's a bit early, but not unheard of. Plus it's close to the first, rent is coming due soon, they tend to step it up late in the month,” Hermione replied.

“Hairy Navel?”

Hermione smirked and shook her head. She and Maddie liked to guess what a newcomer was about to order, and Hermione seemed to have a knack for it. “Long Island,” she replied.

“You sure?”

“When's the last time I was wrong?” she smiled over her shoulder at her boss.

The woman had picked her target, a middle-age man in a construction company t-shirt and a Dodgers hat, sitting close to a TV and drinking a steady supply of Bud Lites. She sat next to him and motioned for Hermione.

“A Long Island, Miss,” she flashed a dazzling smile.

“Told you,” Hermione muttered to Maddie as she started making the drink, exhaling as she did so. This woman was after nothing but a man, either one to make her feel special, or one she'd make feel special for some cash. She was not a regular, but also not a threat. Hermione learned to be friendly with the regulars, knowing most by drink if not by name, as a security measure. If she were ever suspicious of a regular she'd serve them the wrong drink and call it 'the regular'. This usually earned her a laugh and a playful admonishment, but an acceptance... well, that's why she wasn't in Toronto anymore.

“What would I do without you?” Maddie patted her back as Hermione served the woman and started a tab. “Speaking of which, I've got a little shopping to do before the game starts. You good here?”

“I can hold down the fort,” she nodded.

“It shouldn't take me more than half an hour,” she said before pushing through the door to the back and disappearing. Hermione prepped a few things, changed all the TVs to the Dodgers pre-game, and served a few people as a couple small groups came in to watch the game. She was in her element as she chatted up a couple regulars, guessed a few more drinks for newcomers, and kept things running smoothly.

It happened when Long Island woman, frustrated at the lack of attention from her chosen target, ordered another Long Island and a shot of tequila and started looking around at the other prospects. The door opened again and, as always, Hermione looked over to scrutinize the newcomer. Her stomach dropped immediately- this new patron was so far outside their normal clientele that he stood out like a sore thumb. He didn't look like any of the Death Eaters she was hiding from, but nothing was guaranteed when Polyjuice may be in play.

The newcomer was tall and quite good looking, with every hair in place, and an alluring amount of stubble. He was wearing an expensive three-piece suit and held himself with an air of confidence and superiority. He scanned the bar, his eyes resting on her only a fraction of a second, before he seemed to find who he was looking for sitting towards the far end of the bar. He strode over and sat down, immediately striking up a conversation loud enough for her to hear that he had a snooty sort of British accent, but not so loud she could hear what they were talking about. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she made Long Island her drink, but neither man looked in her direction at all, and Hermione felt her insides loosen just a little. Giving Long Island her drink Hermione noticed that she had taken note of the newcomer as well, and seemed to have picked her next target. Hermione poured a little extra in her tequila shot and silently wished her luck, the sooner newcomer was out of the bar the better.

Steeling her nerves she approached the two men, plastering the best smile she could manage on her face.

“Another Coors?” she asked the man newcomer was talking to, already reaching for the glass, and starting to pour as he nodded. “And you?” she asked newcomer as she pulled the draft.

“Whatever your best is here,” he replied, flashing her a dazzling smile, and for just a moment Hermione felt a stirring in her lower abdomen, but she immediately buried the feeling. The man was unknown and therefore dangerous, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood as he looked at her, though there was no malice in his gaze.

“Straight or mixed?” she asked.

“While I've been known to mix it up, I'll take it straight tonight, darling,” he winked.

Hermione turned before rolling her eyes. She suddenly felt a lot safer around the man. She had worked with his type when she worked at a bar frequented by lawyers and stock traders. The crowd was male-dominated, with only the occasional woman trying to keep up or fit in with her male colleagues, and generally had more money than common sense. She only lasted three months there, while the men were generous tippers they were also terrible about keeping their hands to themselves.

She turned back to the man with a healthy pour of their best scotch, and he handed her a $100 bill. “Could you keep it filled, love?” he asked with another of his dazzling smiles. “And my friend, of course.”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded before turning to help a new group that had just entered. Over the next hour she did just that, occasionally refilling the men before moving on to the next guests. She watched Long Island make her move, but was rebuffed as the men were deep in conversation about something, and she settled for a newcomer in a Dodgers shirt who looked to be interested in having a watching companion. Maddie came back and Hermione asked if she had ever seen the man before, but Maddie shook her head no, though she had seen his companion once or twice and knew he was a paper-pusher at some government job who had dreams of being a professional boxer. Hermione assumed that the man in the expensive suit must be some sort of agent, and finally let herself fully relax. By the time she went over to refill them a fourth time she had no concerns about the man, and was mentally listing who else needed a refill.

“That's actually it for us, love,” Expensive Suit said, once again with his charming smile easily coming across his face. “And I have this for you,” he said, holding out another $100.

“Thank you, sir,” she smiled warmly.

“Call me Lucifer, darling.”

“Lucifer?” she couldn't stop the skeptical question falling from her mouth.

“Lucifer Morningstar,” he nodded.

“As in the Devil?”

“One and the same,” he smirked

Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. _I guess crazy comes in all types,_ she thought. Wanting to do her duty as a good employee she gave him another smile and asked, “Are you sure you don't want another?”

He chuckled as his companion got up and left without a word. “I have my own place I really should be getting to, but let me ask you...” he trailed off, raising an eyebrow slightly as he waited for her to fill in her name.

“Mya,” she replied, giving the short name she had been going by.

“Lovely. Tell me, Mya,” he purred, locking eyes with her. “Tell me, what is your deepest desire?”

For just a fraction of a second Hermione almost instinctively told him, but the sudden pounding of her heart immediately drowned her voice. He wasn't using legillimency against her, she couldn't feel him trying to enter her mind, but he was doing something else, manipulating it somehow to try to get her to confess. She didn't even have time to think why he would be asking her that of all things, she just knew in that moment that he was no Muggle, and that meant she was in danger. Nearly stumbling over herself she retreated to the kitchen, where she bent over the prep table as she started to hyperventilate.

“Mya?” Maddie came in, looking concerned.

“That man,” Hermione panted. “In the suit. Is he still here?”

Maddie poked her head out the door. “He just walked out. What's going on?”

“I think he knows. I think they've found me,” she muttered.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“No. But he... said something. Something that made me think he knows.”

“Okay,” she muttered, placing her hands on Hermione's shoulders. “Here is what we're going to do. Do you still have that security system at your place?”

Hermione nodded. Maddie thought she had cameras and locks, not magical wards.

“Good. You're going to go to my place. When James gets off in an hour I'll have him pick up a pre-paid phone for you to make any calls you need to make. Then he'll take you home if you want, if not, you're welcome to stay with me until you figure out what you need to do. James can stay with you if you want. I'm going to stay here, keep an eye out for that man or anyone else who might be suspicious. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, do you understand?” she assured her.

Hermione nodded again.

“Good. I'm going to send Steve out, see if he can spot that guy. I'm going to ask around, I know I've seen him before but I can't remember where. You stay back here until James gets here, if anyone asks I'll say you left. Get yourself something to eat if you want, or you can lock yourself in my office if that'll make you feel safer. Don't worry about us, sweetheart, I'm gonna take care of everything.”

Hermione nodded one more time and Maddie disappeared back into the bar. Jose, the chef, handed Hermione a cold towel to press to her face and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You're safe in here, mami,” he said with a smile that Hermione found impossible to ignore. Jose was, by far, the favorite chef she had ever worked with, their friendship easygoing, he was the first person from their work to invite her to hang out with his family, and she was quite fond of his kids. It hurt to think she might have to run away and never see him again.

Feeling a sob building in her chest Hermione ducked into the office and closed the door. Needing to do something to calm her nerves she sat at Maddie's computer and searched for 'Lucifer Morningstar Los Angeles'. She quickly found out that he was quite prominent in the area, that he owned a night club, and was known for his outlandish personality. She also found a rather long thread of people claiming to have slept with him, nearly all saying he managed to find and fulfill their deepest desires. He was also well known for managing to perform 'favors' around town. As she read her body relaxed, the public descriptions of Lucifer were spot-on to the version she had met, so either a Death Eater had really done their homework before choosing someone so conspicuous to imitate or she had me the actual Lucifer (or whatever his real name was).

“Mya?” Maddie asked, coming in.

“It looks like I may have prematurely panicked,” Hermione replied, turning the monitor towards her. “What he said now appears to be...” she paused as she thought of a convincing lie, “a rather off-putting pickup line that is probably based on my accent.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Relatively.”

Maddie studied her a moment. “I'd still feel better if you bunk with James and I for at least tonight. Or I'll pay to put you up in a hotel room. Just in case.”

“Okay, I'll stay with you,” Hermione nodded.

“Do you need to leave?”

“And miss out on the baseball rush?” she replied with a weak attempt at a smile. “I'll be okay.”

Maddie dug in her pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes. She handed one and a lighter to Hermione. “You still look like you've seen a ghost. Take five in the alley,” she said, rubbing her shoulder.

Hermione wasn't much of a smoker, but she did think getting out of the bar might help clear her head, so she left the office and went to the door out to the alley. After checking to make sure no one was there three times she stepped outside and walked a few feet away to a spot of wall she could lean against. She checked three times again before closing her eyes- no more than the count of ten- and leaning back.

“That was quite a reaction to a simple question,” a familiar voice sounded to her left.

The cigarette and lighter hadn't even fallen halfway to the ground before her wand was in motion, a fast slash in his direction as she shouted, “ _Sectumsempra!_ ”

The spell sent him stumbling backwards two steps, but he quickly regained his footing and looked down at his chest. His shirt, vest, and jacket had all been slashed by the spell, though Hermione could see through the holes they left that his skin was completely unharmed underneath. She stared in disbelief at him, and for a brief second the possibility that he hadn't been lying crossed her mind as she searched for an explanation on why the spell seemed to work, but did him no damage. But the thought was just as quickly dismissed in its absurdity.

“That explains things. You're not the first witch or wizard to see through my little trick, though you're the first to go running from it,” he murmured, then he fingered the holes she had made in his suit. “I understand your desire to defend yourself, but did you have to take it out on the Armani?” he asked sharply as he looked up to glare at her.

“How?” she whispered, eyes wide as she backed up a step in fear.

“How? You mortals,” he sighed angrily. “I tell you exactly what you're dealing with and so few of you _actually_ believe me.”

“It's not possible,” she murmured, shaking her head, not dropping her wand at all.

“It's not?” he asked, his eyes flashing red for a moment.

She found her voice coming back to her. “If you think a trick anyone in third year can do is going to convince me...” she snapped.

“Well, I would prove it a little bit more definitively, but people have a tendency to go a bit mad when I do,” he replied defensively.

“It can't be the worst I've seen,” she replied, eyes darting around to check for witnesses if she were to cast another spell or Disapparate.

“Suit yourself,” he smiled, and in the blink of her eye his face changed to a red, grotesque semblance of a face, punctuated with the glowing red eyes.

Her eyes went wide and breath caught in her chest as a shiver of fear crawled over her skin, but a moment later it was replaced by a rather odd sensation of relief. He really wasn't a disguised Death Eater and, in that moment, she was sure she was safe.

Her wand dropped to her side and she started slowly making her way back to the door into the bar. “As I said, not the worst that I've seen,” she managed, though she could hear the tremor of fear in her voice.

Another blink and the handsome version of Lucifer was standing back in front of her with an intrigued expression on his face. “I'd love to hear it.”

“Well, I wouldn't love to tell it,” she shook her head. “In fact, this would be the last words I'd like to say to you. Good day, Mr. Morningstar,” she added with finality, ducking into the bar and slamming the door behind her. She leaned against it as she stuffed her wand in her pocket. It took her a minute or two to catch her breath, then another minute or two to work up the courage to peek outside again. Looking both ways she didn't see anyone until the occasional pedestrian crossing the alley on one of the streets to either side, Lucifer was gone. She wandlessly summoned the cigarette and lighter and went back into the bar.

“Here are these back,” she said, slipping them to Maggie as she started to get ready to start making drinks again.

“Didn't need the calm down, eh?” Maggie smiled.

“No, just rejecting Satan,” Hermione smirked.

“Clever girl,” she chuckled.

Hermione threw herself back into her job, and by the end of the game things had gotten so busy she nearly forgot about her run in with Lucifer. But when she was home that night she put up a couple extra wards on her apartment and said a silent prayer that her first encounter with the Devil was also her last.


End file.
